


Deleted Scenes from TCtTY

by Sapharen



Series: Mages in Space [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Deleted Scenes, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-09-25 21:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20378635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapharen/pseuds/Sapharen
Summary: Just some small things that didn't make the cut in the final draft of my story Too Close to Tell You.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just some small things that didn't make the cut in the final draft of my story Too Close to Tell You.

**Why Heig is NEVER going to let Imp Intel have his ship again.**

Heig walked into the Dromund Kaas Spaceport, excited to finally get his ship back. They told him it was in perfect condition and ready to fly but when he arrived, the ship was under a tarp. Slightly annoyed, Heig ripped the tarp off of it only to find the ship entirely covered in copious amounts graffiti. Heig cursed aloud and found the nearest dock worker. The poor guy didn't get a chance to speak before a blaster rifle was shoved into his face and being threatened into cleaning the ship. The dock worker figured it would be better to clean the graffiti than be killed and quickly grabbed a hose. Satisfied, Heig left the hangar and quickly contacted Imperial Intelligence to have some choice words with whichever poor soul answered him.

\-------------------

**Moff Broysc**

Ander was busy minding his own business, looking at funny videos on his holopad, when Quinn walked up to him. Ander immediately stopped what he was doing and greeted the officer. "Hey, Quinn, what's up?" Quinn bowed before Ander but didn't immediately respond, instead showing his discontent on his face. "Are you okay? You look bothered?" He asked again. Quinn sighed and shook his head. "I have been receiving calls on my personal devices from an old commanding officer I served under. He has been constantly harassing me since I left Balmorra." Ander was shocked and his expression equally reflected that. "I'm sorry, what? Who is this guy?"

"Most Broysc… I served under him for a short amount of time and when I disobeyed his direct order to turn the tide of battle in our favour, he stripped me of my rank and sent me to Balmorra. Now he won't stop calling and I was wondering if I could-"

"Kill him." Quinn was taken aback by Ander's command and looked at him questionably. "My lord?"

"Kill him." The smile Ander had on his face seemed innocent at first. Yet Ander was very displeased by what Quinn had told him. If he had been present, no one would dare harass the officer, yet Ander hadn't been. Still, the young Sith could sense Quinn's distaste for his ex-commanding officer and was more than happy to let him fulfil on his bloodthirsty wish. "He's being an ass and if you're better at doing his job then we really don't need him alive." Ander continued. Malavai was still somewhat shaken but ultimately agreed with his statement. Truth be told, he actually wished for Broysc's demise himself but never thought he'd see it realized. Still, he wasn't going to ignore an order from his lord, thus he grabbed his gun and left the ship.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I'm just going to make these as I remember them.

**Ander and His Dark Side**

The dark reflection of Ander's visage spat and snarled as it drew its own lightsaber. Quinn quickly ducked behind his lord and pulled out his pistol. "My lord, what is that? Did the Jedi ritual actually work?" Ander nodded and raised his arms, to better hide the officer. The shadowy figure stalked Ander, circling him. "Close your eyes, Quinn. No matter what, don't open them until I tell you to." Quinn did as he was told and squeezed his eyes shut. He could hear the dark manifestation snarling in the distant, completely animalistic and primal in comparison to his Light Side counterpart. It frightened him to know his lord could have been the former, which incidentally made him appreciated his _ actual _lord instead.

As the beast came back around to be in front of Ander, he stopped. Ander drew his sabers, ready to fight but wanted to try something first. "I will defeat you." The beast huffed, chuckling softly. "I am you, just stronger." Ander figured that was the case. That this was a reflection of his _ other _ side. The side that he had shown once before, in the Academy when someone punched his sister Alessin. Ander couldn't remember anything after that and even that memory was a blur but they told him he went… **berserk**. Ander couldn't believe it but now that he was face to face with it…

"That may be!" Ander started, yelling at the creature. "But if you are me… Would you be willing to put him at risk? Would you want to hurt him?" The beast's eyes widened and Ander saw his gaze refocus on Quinn. The officer, at that moment, had turned his head but still didn't open his eyes. Still, the fear painted on his face seemed to have hurt the reflection. The beast whined sadly and fell to his knees.

Ander glanced back at Quinn. "You can open your eyes now." Quinn did so and came out from behind his lord. Seeing the beast on his knees, in the middle of the lake, kind of saddened him. "My lord? Is it true that he is…?"

"Yes. He is a part of me that I can't ignore. Will you still follow me knowing that?" Ander asked, turning to the officer. Quinn looked to his lord, then back to the reflection. The shadowy visage clutched his chest armor and began to howl as tears streamed from its eyes, back into the lake from whence it came. Quinn was stunned that a silly Jedi ritual could have complicated emotional structures. He looked to Ander, asking with his gaze if he could go check on the poor thing. "It's okay, he's pacified." Quinn nodded and walked out to the dark shadow.

As he got closer, Quinn noticed that the figure was an exact copy of his lord and was opaque. It was a foolish thought but perhaps it was possible to touch him? Quinn slowly reached out his hand and gently brushed the beast's hair, petting him. "Hey, shhh. It's okay, don't cry." The beast took in a large breath, sniffling as he did. "B-But... I scared you… I'm nothing but a monster!" The beast cried louder and as he slowly ran out of breath, lowered his head to rest against the water's surface. "No, you aren't. You couldn't have prevented that. My fear of Dark Side Sith is a product of my service in the military. It has nothing to do with you…" The beast listened to Quinn's words and began to relax into his hands. Now that he could see the reflection for what it truly was, Quinn couldn't help but feel like he was too quick to judge it earlier. If this was also how Ander could be, then perhaps it wasn't so bad.

Quinn brushed the reflection's hair with his fingers and heard a loud purring emit from its throat. "Aw, my lord." Ander perked his head up to better hear his officer. "He purred at me. He's quite cute." Both Ander and the reflection made a surprised face. Quinn immediately realized what he said and tried to correct himself but the reflection interrupted him. "I'll show you what you want to know!" The reflection fizzled into light and water as one returned to the lake, while the other showed a vision of an isolated hut in the desert. Quinn gathered his bearings and returned to his lord, who was checking the map. "Found it! I've pinned its coords, so it'll be easier to find." Quinn nodded. "By the way, my lord."

"Hmm?"

"Why did the reflection have such a violent reaction to causing me pain?" Ander nervously laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't like to hurt my friends and I get really sad when I do." That much was the truth but not the whole truth. Ander didn't see himself revealing that for a long time. Quinn seemed to be satisfied with his answer and was completely ready to face the last part of their mission. Ander was relieved and led him back on track...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh! Also, all these deleted scenes are canonical for Too Close to Tell You. I was initially going to add them all but I just... didn't. So here they are.

**The First and Last Mistake**

Alexander walked through the door of his home with young Ander peacefully napping in his arms, to see his beautiful wife waiting up for him. He made his way over to her and kissed her. "I'm back from the demonstration… That should keep the Academy at bay for a while." He said as he walked past her and made his way over to Ander's room, to put the sleeping child to bed. Yet before he could reach it, Sheila called out to him, stirring Ander from his slumber. "Yes, well, it's about time we talk about that." Alexander frowned but Ander didn't seem too bothered. He was still drowsy enough that it would be easy to get him to fall asleep again. He sighed but didn't show his displeasure. "Alright, _ dear_ . Just let me tuck Ander in." Sheila groaned. She absolutely _ hated _ that pet name.

Alexander smiled as he laid down his first-born into his brand new toddler bed. He was so precious looking as his bright blue, sleepy eyes looked up at him, before fluttering close. Alexander leaned down and laid a soft kiss on his son's forehead. "Sleep tight, little man." Ander smiled and yawned quietly. "Love you, Daddy…" Alexander smiled as he got up from his knees and walked to the door. "Love you too, Ander." He whispered as he quietly shut the door.

Turning around, Alexander found that his wife had followed him and was waiting just outside the door. "What do we _ need _ to discuss? You almost woke Ander up. You know how he gets when he's cranky." Sheila scoffed; it didn't sound like she cared, which annoyed him. She had always been like that towards their son and he wasn't looking forward to seeing how she _ raised _ their newborn twin girls. Her behavior and attitude toward their children confused him, however, as she was so persistent and excited to birth them. Alexander decided that he would bring it to her attention during their _ talk. _

Sheila smiled and put on her best puppy eyes. Alexander glared at her, fully done with her manipulation. Sheila sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, well since you are in such a bad mood, I'll get to the point. It's about time we discussed our preferred direction with our children's future."

"Like…?" Alexander narrowed his eyes at her, unsure of the direction of the conversation. "Like…" She smiled sweetly yet venomously. "Turning them into the galaxy's deadliest immortal super soldiers." Alexander looked at her slack-jawed. Sheila seemed pleased with his reaction though. "Great to see you on board. I would hate to kill you because you didn't agree or something." Sheila laughed quite loudly and her voice echoed off the walls. A second later, Alexander heard loud wailing come from the twins' room. Sheila scoffed and glared at the door. "Ugh, stupid kids. Shut them up for me, dear." She turned back to her husband with hungry eyes. "I'm going out to make arrangements with a scientist _ friend _of mine. Oh, and make sure Ander knows not to cry when the psychological torment starts. He's such a uselessly pathetic child right now and I don't want any of those traits to survive the transformation. Ta ta, sweety!" Sheila said as she slammed the door behind her.

Alexander couldn't believe he had fallen for someone so insane. To do something like that to her own children? To his children? Alexander had to get them away from her but- a hushed whimper drew him from his thoughts and Alexander looked down to see his son looking up at him through a small crack in the door. Ander locked eyes with him and immediately shut the door. Alexander rushed into his room to find him in a fit of tears, sitting on his knees. "Ander, hey…" Alexander hushed him, pulling the boy into a tight hug as he fell to his knees. "How much did you hear?" Ander was still very much developing his vocabulary but understood most if not all the nasty words his mother used to describe him. Alexander was sure it would have a negative impact on his social and emotional development if it continued but… he guessed he didn't have to worry about that anymore. "Momma… hates me…" Ander said in between tears and strained breaths. Alexander had always covered for her in the past, thinking it to be a product of postpartum. Yet, now he knew she simply didn't care. She was a soldier of the Dark Side and it was obvious from the very start… He was just a blind fool. Alexander sighed and gently brushed Ander's hair. "Yes… She does." Ander immediately went silent as he stared off into space. A thousand panicked thoughts ran through his little head as his tears began to intensify. _ Was it his fault? Did he do something wrong? What was it? He didn't remember… _

Alexander read his son's mind and picked the child up, throwing him over his shoulder as he stood up. "It's not your fault, Ander. Mommy is just an awful person and there was nothing we could do to change that…" He said as he quickly raced down the hall to his daughters' room. He grabbed an opened crate and brought it into the room with him. "But don't worry. I won't let her hurt you or your sisters ever again. We are leaving right now and we won't have to worry about her ever again." He laid a blanket on the bottom of the crate and gently set Ander into it, before moving his sisters. Alexander then picked up the crate, with his three young children inside, and headed for the door. "Keep your sisters safe, okay Ander?" Ander nodded and gently placed his hands on either side of his sisters' heads, so they didn't hurt themselves on the metal sides of the box. Alexander smiled and left the apartment, hurrying as he quickly made his way to the spaceport. He would leave that forsaken Republic planet and make his way so deep into Imperial space that Sheila would never be able to follow them…

\-------------------

**Video Logs //:// Ander's Cute**

Malavai knew it was probably morally wrong of him to have copied Alexander's video logs to his own computer but his lord did say that they would share everything they owned, once they were wed. So, obviously, that included the files Ander had _ inherited _ from his father's computer. Though, honestly, how could Malavai resist when the file was literally named _ 'Ander's Cute'_.

He had peeked at the contents before when he was looking for evidence that led them to Ander's mother but he didn't linger long enough to watch one. Now, however, with Ander out to help Jaesa pick out her wedding gown, Malavai had plenty of time to review the folder's contents.

The first video in the list, ordered by date of creation, was named _ 'Flower'_. An odd title, Malavai thought but it surely had to have an interesting history behind it. He chuckled remembering all the silly conversations he had with Heig and Ander was no doubt to be no different. He pressed play and relaxed into the pillows on the bed. Shortly after, while the video was still loading, Grophl sauntered over and snuggled himself into Malavai’s neck, gazing over to watch the screen he held in his hands.

The video started at an odd angle. It seemed that there was a camera just behind Alexander's chair, in his office. He must have been paranoid enough to install hidden security cameras in his house. A perplexing thought but as a bouncing head of short, red hair came into view, Malavai relaxed once more. Ander was still short enough that only the top of his head was visible. He reached up and pulled his father's sleeve, causing the man to turn and look down at him. Malavai could clearly see the similarities in Alexander's face. He had thought Ander and his father shared similar bone structures but to see him alive. It was clear that they were identical, not perfectly but it was obvious they were father and son.

"Daddy?" Ander asked sweetly. Alexander smiled and picked up his son, planting him firmly on his lap, in full view of the camera. Malavai's heart aww'd at the sight of his lord. Ander was _ definitely _an adorable child. "Yes, Ander? What is it?"

"I finally thought of what I wanna be when I grow up!" Alexander laughed at Ander's enthusiasm. When he had initially asked the question, he was met with confused looks and quiet ponders. He thought he would have to wait a few years for an answer.

"Oh? And what's that?" Alexander inquired. Ander threw his hands into the air as he yelled, "A flower!" Alexander burst out laughing as he pulled the boy into his embrace. Ander squished against his father's torso and squeezed his head out to face the camera. Eventually, after a minute or so of his father's loud laughter, Ander began to frown and push away from him. Alexander finally released him and wiped stray tears from his eyes as he began to calm down. He finally looked down at Ander's pouting face and chuckled softly. "Why, in all the galaxy, would you want to be a flower?" Ander hung his head but looked up at his father again, a sadder expression on his small face. "So I can make you smile…" Alexander's smile faded and couldn't help but hug his son. "You do make me smile, buddy. You and your sisters are the most important people in my world. You make me so happy and proud to be your father. I love you." Alexander kissed the top of Ander's head before pulling him into a third hug.

"But…" Ander started as he glanced down at the floor. "You always look so sad or scared when you're on the computer… I want to make you smile all the time." Alexander fought back tears as he pulled away from Ander, looking down at him with a smile. "So, you're saying I should smile more?" Ander nodded, looking hopefully up at his father. Alexander nodded. "Okay. From now on, I'll do my best to smile more. If I'm frowning, that's your cue to come in and cheer me up. Got it?" Ander smiled widely and nodded. "Got it."

The video ended and Malavai was utterly speechless. Yes the video was adorable but it had such a sad undertone, it was hard to ignore. Still, he enjoyed it and it wasn't going to stop him from watching the rest. Grophl was even pawing at his arm, signaling him to start the next one. Malavai would have to show these to Senya, one day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ghostly Hellos and Goodbyes**

Alessin and Aria toured their old house with Senya and Vaylin by their side. Visiting their old room was harder than they could have imagined but as they sat in the middle of the dusty room, a lot of happier memories came to light. As Alessin reminisced, she heard a faint footstep sound behind her. She turned and saw nothing but she knew it didn't mean nothing was there. Alessin looked through the Force and found the weak spirit of her deceased father, smiling down at her. When she reached out to him with the Force, he was surprised but reached back. She had done this very thing with other ghosts but it was by force to bind them to her, to use their power. However, she wasn't going to force her father to stay with her but he didn't seem to object as a light tether appeared between them. She would release him once they were done. Alessin left her meditation to her twin sister's inquired glances. _ I'll tell you later. _ She whispered. Aria nodded and got up from her knees, leaving the room. Alessin soon followed her.

\---------------------

When the twins finally got back to their room on Odessan, Aria turned to Alessin for an explanation. "What happened earlier that you didn't want to tell me?" Alessin shook her head. "I just didn't want Ander to hear… and I didn't want to explain the process to Vaylin." Aria tilted her head but she quickly realized what her sister was referring to. "Force Walking? You Force Walked in our house? Who did you capture this time?"

"I didn't capture him. It was a mutual proposition. He's tethered to me, using my power instead of the other way around."

"Who is?" Aria sounded rather annoyed. Alessin hung her head and didn't argue, which was abnormal for her. Aria's expression softened as she wondered what was going on, yet a familiar voice caught her off guard and she twirled around, unsheathing her weapon. Looking down at her was a blue spirit with a face she knew all too well. Aria immediately dropped her lightsaber and stared up at the man before her. Alessin walked up to stand next to her sister. "When I saw him, he couldn't even appear to me normally. I _ had _ to Force Walk. He wanted to make sure we were taken care of. I'll let him go when he's satisfied." Aria looked back up at the spirit, who smiled down at her and lifted his hands up to rub her cheeks. _ Good to see you again, princess. _ Aria felt uncontrollable tears burn her eyes and cheeks. "Daddy…" Alexander brushed her tears aside, Alessin's power allowing him to break the physical boundaries. _ Shhh… baby girl. It's okay. _

"No, it's not!" Aria cried, her stalwart exterior crumbling into dust. "You're dead. You've been dead for years and we've only just gone back for you and yet… you're right here. You aren't resting peacefully because you're still worried about us. It's not fair." Alexander frowned and wrapped an arm around each of his daughters, pulling them closer. _ I know, baby, but at the very least, I know my sacrifice was not in vain. _ Aria and Alessin pulled away and looked at him with muddled eyes. "...You knew?" Alessin asked, hoping he had just misspoken. Alexander nodded his head slowly, retracting his arms. _ I knew I couldn't run from her forever. _

"Her?" Aria was confused, angry, and upset beyond reason. So much had been uncovered that day and it was all becoming too much for her to handle. Alexander was about to answer when the door to their room opened and Ander stuck his head in.

"Hey, girls. Uncle Harkun is on his way to join us for the funeral. Do you want to meet him with me?" The twins looked at Ander and glanced back at their father, who looked to be in a trance. _ Ander… _ But… Ander didn't react to his voice, instead, he narrowed his eyes at his sisters. "Is the silence a no?" He asked. Alessin smiled awkwardly. "Um, big brother? Don't you see the uxibeast in the room?" Alessin lifted her arms to present Alexander but again, Ander didn't react. He darted his eyes around the room and sighed. "Look, girls, I don't have time to play spot-the-difference. I'll see you downstairs but I'm telling Uncle you have something to tell him because you better thank him for all he's done for us." Ander angrily walked away from the room and stormed down the hall. Alessin and Aria were shaken by their brother's words. They looked back to their father, who was equally surprised. _ He doesn't see me… _ Alexander looked to the floor, hanging his head sadly. "He can't hear you either. It has to be Tenebrae's influence."

_ Who? _ Aria sighed and got up off the floor. "We'll explain it in a bit. First, we should say hello to Uncle Harkun." Alessin nodded, following her sister. Alexander floated with them. He was still worried that his son wasn't able to see him but thought perhaps it was better that way. He knew Ander was the most affected by his assassination and didn't want to upset him any further.

\--------------------------

Harkun took a deep breath, his hands clasped together in front of his face as he breathed out slowly. He looked up at the twin girls, he had taken care of for years, with a slightly annoyed face. His expression was mirrored by Senya, who sat in the same room, along with Arcann, Thexan, and Vaylin.

"So," Harkun paused, looking up at the Force ghost of his longtime friend. "You decided to tether yourself with your father because he wanted to see how you guys were doing? Why didn't you just leave the house and visit them on Korriban?" Alexander groaned, rolling his eyes at the Overseer's question. _ I tried that, but it felt like something was trapping me there. I guess, even though I saw it coming… _ Harkun shook his head, utterly disgusted and disappointed. "What if… What if she can't let you go? What if she absorbs your soul like she did with the other Sith ghosts she's supposedly consumed?" Alexander stammered at the mention of his precious daughter **consuming** souls and turned to her for answers. Alessin looked quite offended and quickly defended herself. "Hey! I needed their power to defeat Thanaton! And, also, they wouldn't give it to me willingly, so I had to force them. I didn't force Daddy into anything. I just Force Walked so I could see him. I didn't even do the rest of the ritual with him! Ugh!" She grunted loudly, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks. Alexander smiled at the adorable pout and gently pat her on the back. Harkun was far from complacent but went quiet.

"Anyway," Aria started, drawing the room's attention. "We wanted to ask you guys if any of you have a clue why Ander couldn't see our Dad."

"He couldn't? That's… unexpected." Arcann said quietly. Aria looked at him questionably. "What do you mean?" Arcann looked uncomfortable to continue, so Senya spoke up. "Valkor- Tenebrae is extremely powerful, as we all know. His power has had several side effects on Ander. One, in particular, was that he was attracting hordes of spirits, both Force users and otherwise. I remember him jumping at the sight of them phasing through the walls as they chased after him…" Alessin and Aria winced, imagining what horrors their brother must have faced. "Eventually, though, he stopped mentioning it. Either he got used to it, or Tenebrae is keeping him from seeing them. The latter being the most probable."

"So… we have to talk to Tenebrae? How do we do that without Ander listening in on the conversation and breaking down? I mean, I want him to see Daddy but I don't think he could handle it right now." Alessin huffed, wondering if it was even worth the trouble. The room went silent, no one actually knowing what to do next, until Aria spoke up. "Wait!" Everyone turned to her. "Can't Tenebrae possess Ander for a bit? Like he did when they were on Nathamar? I mean, that surge through the Force came from him, right? Ander couldn't have done that on his own." Arcann, Thexan, and Vaylin all nodded at the same time. They recognized their father's power the most. "You think he could somehow tune Ander out so he can't listen in? Well, without destroying his consciousness and completely taking over his body?" The last half of that question made the Tirall children extremely nervous and they refused to answer her. Aria sighed. "Perhaps it's best you do it soon. Tomorrow will be extremely painful for him and I don't know if he will want to talk while he is going through your father's computer files." Alexander breathed in through his teeth and nodded. Aria and Alessin nodded, thanking their old and new family members before leaving the room to find Ander.

\--------------------------

As expected, Ander was spending the late evening with Malavai, in their room. Aria and Alessin rounded the corner, much to their brother's surprise. He jumped up off the couch and walked over to them. "Girls? What is it? Do you need something?" Alessin shifted anxiously, causing her brother to become concerned. Ander frowned and turned back to Malavai. "I'll be back in a few, okay, Malavai?"

"Of course, my lord." Ander nodded and left the room with his sisters. They walked together in silence until they made it to a pretty remote part of the base.

Ander turned to them. "What's wrong, girls? You are usually never this quiet…"

"Well, could we-" Aria stammered, thinking carefully about her next words. "Could we talk to Tenebrae?" Ander looked at them questionably but woke Tenebrae up from his dormant slumber. Tenebrae yawned and lazily floated beside him. "Of course. You guys can see him, so go ahead."

"Um…" Alessin started. "Without you, big brother… If that's okay?"

"Oh… Okay. Sure." Ander looked slightly disappointed but closed his eyes, causing Tenebrae to vanish. Ander's eyes reopened to a striking golden color. He sighed loudly and moved one hand in a sweeping motion, forcibly causing Alexander to reveal himself. Ander's eyes stared at him but it was actually Tenebrae seeing him. "Let me guess… this is what you wanted to talk about?" All three of them nodded but said nothing. Tenebrae breathed harshly through his teeth and scratched his head. "Look, I understand you might want to talk to Ander but I really don't think it's a good idea. He's not in a great place right now and it would do more harm than good for him to see you." Alexander nodded slowly, knowing all too well the truth in his words. "Furthermore, Ander believes that you have already moved on. Seeing that isn't actually the case, well, I don't know how he'd react… but if you really want to talk to him, I can allow you to do so-"

_ No. _ Tenebrae shot his head up, looking up at the ghostly figure. His form was becoming unstable, as was such when ghosts would become emotional. Instead of shedding tears, their form would ripple like water. _ Don't. I just… I need to know one thing. _ Tenebrae nodded, letting Alexander continue. _ Is he happy? _ Tenebrae shrugged his shoulders slightly. "Overall? Not really. He still has some pretty bad depression that is frankly, crippling at times but… When he's with Malavai? Yeah. He's happier than I've ever seen him. He used to tell me how great of a person he was when we were trapped in carbonite together." Tenebrae smiled, thinking back on those times fondly. "And he will continue to be happy because I won't let anything happen to either of them. I'll be around to protect them, so, you don't have to worry about him anymore." Alexander smiled, letting his form resettle. _ Okay. Thank you. _ Alexander then turned to his twin daughters, kneeling down to kiss them on their foreheads. Alessin looked at him with misty eyes. Alexander nodded at her, slowly pulling her and her sister in for one last hug. Alessin did her best to release the tether but she was far too emotional. Tenebrae frowned and knelt down beside them. "It's okay. I can handle that." Tenebrae moved his hand in a slicing motion, disconnecting the tether between them. Alexander smiled one last time at them before he disappeared from view. Alessin and Aria completely broke down and held onto each other as they cried loudly. Tenebrae sighed, wrapping his arms around them. "Ander would hate to see you two like this." They stayed like that for a while, until they eventually calmed down.

"Are you okay now?" Tenebrae asked. The twins nodded, saying nothing. "You should head on back to your rooms. Don't worry about Ander, I'll take care of it." They nodded and walked back to their rooms. Tenebrae waited until they were out of sight to relinquish control back to Ander.

It took Ander a moment to realize what was going on but he eventually figured it out and looked to Tenebrae for answers. "So, did you end up helping them?"

_ Yep. _

"And?"

_ And… _ Tenebrae paused, wondering if he should even tell Ander what really happened. _ A rather rude ghost was bothering them so I told him to shove off. _ Ander chuckled softly. "Did you really?"

_ Yep. _ Ander rolled his eyes, not believing the pure blood for a second. "Yeah, okay. Sure you did." Ander smiled, walking back to his quarters. Tenebrae shrugged his shoulders but had to admit that his lie was lacking in believability.

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**One Step Too Far**

Ander groaned as he slowly began to come to, his head spinning and his body aching. He tried to move his hands up to his head, to rub his temples, but quickly found them to be bound. _ W-What the? _ Ander asked himself. The last thing he remembered was being on Darth Marr's ship, telling his friends to save themselves before hearing a loud crashing noise and being tackled to the ground by someone.

"You're awake. Good." Ander turned towards the voice and saw a young man, probably around his age, standing in the doorway. He couldn't really get a good look at the man's face, as half of it was covered by a mask, but he wore white clothing and had a bionic arm. Ander slowly sat up, as best he could with his hands bound in front of him. "Where am I?" Ander asked but instead of answering his question, the young man grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to stand. He pushed Ander out of the room and into the hallway, which had a beautiful view of the planet's upper reaches. Ander was able to get a glimpse of the planet below, before being pushed along.

"You are in the Immortal Empire's illustrious capital, Zakuul." The man said. Ander could sense he was in trouble but he just couldn't stop himself from being curious. "So, Zakuul, huh? Were you born here?" Ander asked, slightly slowing down so he could look at his captor. He looked slightly annoyed by Ander's question but didn't tell him off for it either. "Yes." Ander was extremely pleased with his response and decided to push his luck further. "What's your name? Mine's Ander." Again, the man looked at Ander but was more curious than angry. "Arcann…" He said quietly. Ander smiled. "Nice to meet you, Arcann," Ander whispered back.

Arcann seemed to react positively to Ander's discretion but said nothing more as they were soon joined by an escort. He was disappointed to hear his new potential friend fall silent but held onto the hope he could get out of this without violence. "Prince Arcann!" Arcann groaned loudly and turned to the owner of the voice. Ander glanced back, seeing an elderly man with piercing white eyes and black robes run up to them. "I see you are, yet again, acting without considering the Scions visions." The older man sounded as though he was talking down to a child, which Arcann obviously was not. Ander was not pleased by the elder's tone and cleared his throat. Arcann and the older man looked back at Ander. "Who do you think you are to talk to him like that?" Arcann made a motion to inform Ander that he didn't need to but he ignored him. "He isn't a child and shouldn't have to rely on the decisions of others. Part of growing up is making those tough decisions and learning from your mistakes." The older man was astonished to hear Ander talk to him in such a tone. "You have no right to speak but…" The man paused as his eyes began to glow for a moment. Both Arcann and Ander were alarmed to see it. "But I suppose you will serve your purpose soon enough." He turned to the escort, signaling them to leave with him.

Ander slowly turned to Arcann. "Are you okay?" Arcann nodded just slightly, before signaling Ander to walk again. Arcann led them to an ornately constructed door which opened up to a grand throne room. The marbled, metal walkway was lined by two infinity streams, which made a pleasant babbling brook sound that echoed across the room. A circular dome of reinforced glass protected them from stray space debris. Ander was astonished to find the walkway didn't have any handrails as there was just a straight drop to the planet's surface. The thought made him anxious but as Ander looked up at the throne, itself, an overwhelming familiarity came over him. He looked upon _ his _ Emperor's face and grimaced. Arcann walked in front of him, presenting the man he was already very familiar with. "Behold, as you stand before Zakuul’s Immortal Emperor, Valkorion." Arcann left to stand at the base of the steps, before the throne. Ander immediately kneeled and didn't dare look up.

A low chuckle echoed across the room, as Valkorion stood from his golden throne. His heavy steps down the stairs thumped in Ander's mind and chest. "Look, my son. That is what true obedience looks like." Ander glanced up, wondering who he was referring to. Arcann scowled in response to his father's demeaning tone. Valkorion stood before Ander and signaled him to rise. When he didn't do so immediately, Valkorion turned his attention to one of the guards lining the walkway. Using the Force, he pushed the guard. Ander reacted faster than anyone expected him to, catching the poor fellow and carefully lifting him back onto the platform with the Force. Valkorion smirked wickedly. "Always willing to save others before yourself. Well, now that I have your attention, I must congratulate you for coming this far." A chill ran down Ander's spine as he continued. "However, I believe it would have gone smoother for you if you had come the night of our last meeting."

"I…" Ander shook nervously. "I had to take care of something first." Arcann watched silently but was surprised when his father began laughing. Ander winced as Valkorion got up in his face. "I know." He stopped dead silent and stared holes into Ander's fragile form. He moved away from Ander, walking back to face the throne. "I watched as you used the asset I gave you to protect a measly soldier. A man in your charge who betrayed you because he believed in a fool's threats. How you could delay our meeting for such a stupid reason-"

"It's not like that!" Ander yelled, interrupting his Emperor. Arcann was surprised by Ander's will but was scared that his father would punish him for it. "I love him. I wanted to make sure he was okay before I left…" Valkorion scoffed. "What a foolish thing…" He whispered, turning back to face Ander. "Perhaps then, I should get rid of that _ distraction. _" Ander looked up at him with fear-filled eyes. "No, please!"

"Yes! Arcann!" Valkorion turned back to his son. "Go to Dromund Kass and kill a man known as Malavai Quinn." Arcann hesitated, which Valkorion detested. "Ugh, fine. I'll do it myself."

"No, you won't…" Valkorion heard a snap and looked to Ander, his shackles had been broken in half and his body was shaking. A moment later, the air around him grew heavy and the walkway heaved beneath him, bending into a circle around him. Valkorion took a step forward, only to be met with piercing red eyes that soon blasted with yellow spikes. He had never seen anything like it before and before he could comment on it, felt the full force of gravity fall onto him tenfold. He was killed instantly, his body, nothing more than a crushed puddle of meat and blood. It took him a moment to realize that he was a spirit before launching himself into Ander's mind. There, he watched as Ander collapsed and the memories of his capture wiped from his mind. Valkorion would have to be careful with this new vessel. One wrong step and he would be blasted from eternity.


End file.
